Be agents of rule of law – Akufo-Addo urges lawyers

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has called on the Ghana BAR Association to help entrench the rule of law in the country.

He said many of the challenges which has slowed down the development of the country were associated with the poor enforcement of the law.

The President said whether the issue had to do with the crisis in the banking sector, poor construction of roads or illegal mining in the country, all are issues related to poor enforcement of the laws of the country.

President Akufo-Addo was speaking at the opening of this year’s annual conference of the Ghana BAR Association at Koforidua.

The six days conference is being organized under the theme: “Impact of technology on the practice of the law to move with changing times is appropriate in view of advances of science and technology as it affect all facets of human endeavours in the 21st century.”

President Akufo-Addo said the recent introduction of the E-Register in the justice system is to ensure openness and help reduce corruption in the justice delivery system.

He advised the members of the Association to be cautious of some challenges associated with the introduction of technology in the justice delivery system like issues of cyber attack and hacking.

Justice Julius Ansah, the Acting Chief Justice, said the automation and digitization of the justice delivery system in the country had reached very far.

He said so far about 500 lawyers have expressed their desire to have their chambers connected to the automation of the judicial system and about 170 of them have received some training.

Justice Ansah urged the conference to come out with initiatives to influence the training of law students for them to keep abreast with the changing trends in the justice delivery system in the country.

Ms Gloria Akuffo, Attorney General and Minister of Justice, expressed her commitment to the automation and digitization of the justice delivery system in the country.

She called for the collaboration of the BAR and the Bench to ensure the success of the many interventions that has been initiated by the country towards the introduction of technological innovations in the justice delivery system with the support of the development partners of the country.

Ms Akuffo urged the BAR to encourage its members to embrace the automation and digitization of the justice delivery system because it would make the justice delivery system more efficient.

Mr Benson Nutsugbi, the National President of the Ghana BAR Association, called on government to resource the office of the special prosecutor and all the anti-corruption agencies to enable them deliver on their mandate.

He called for the reaccreditation of all law faculties in the country to ensure that their current curricula meets the expectations of the practice.

Mr Nutsugbi said since he assumed office, the BAR Association Welfare Committee has raised over two million Ghana cedis and urged the new leadership to continue with the plan of using the funds to provide BAR centres in all regional capitals throughout the country.
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